How to Detect Home Foundation Problems Easily

One thing that can certainly ruin the value of a home is foundation problems. However, these problems don’t simply happen overnight. They take a long time to develop. If you can address them early enough, you can save yourself a lot of trouble. Thankfully our experts at San Antonio's Stablelift Foundation Repair have composed a short guide to help homeowners detect home foundation problems easily.

Check Your Doors and Windows

The first method is perhaps the simplest. Check your doors and windows. If your foundation has not shifted, the original doors should still open easily. If they easily jam or are difficult to open and close, this could be a sign of foundation changes. Windows can also give you important clues. If a window is hard to open and shut, it could mean foundation problems as well. However, those doors and windows could also be expanding or contracting due to the weather. Don’t jump to immediate conclusions.

Check for Cracks

Cracks are another telltale sign of foundation problems. Wall cracks are the most common sign that the foundation of a home has shifted. They are caused when the weight of a home is no longer evenly distributed. This is most often the result of movement of the soil under the home. This can then cause cracks to travel through the wall. However, not every crack may be serious. This is the case for cracks that only appear during certain seasons of the year. However, if a crack remains and grows steadily over time, there is strong chance that is being caused by a shifting foundation.

Floor cracking can also be evidence of foundation problems. Such cracks can appear in floors made out of concrete, tile or other solid materials. Such cracks are created due to the support of the soil eroding under the floor. The flooring material must then support the weight of the home. This pressure can result in cracking.

Check for Separations Between the Wall and Floor

If the foundation has shifted significantly, you will also likely find that spaces have been created between the floor and wall in certain parts of your home. This occurs when the foundation sinks and shifts into a lower position. This can cause the home’s framework to become unstable and result in things like walls that have become separated from the floor.

However, this is a very serious problem. If the floor is separated from the wall, this likely means that the wall is now literally being suspended by the roofing joists. They are not designed to take on that much pressure. This structural instability can be very dangerous. It will mean your home will likely sink further into the ground. It could also mean the walls or roof could collapse at any time due the lack of structural support.

Take Action

Overall, you need to pay attention to notice the sings of foundation problems as they develop. This includes inspecting your home from the inside as well as the outside. If you notice significant differences developing in the structure of your home or in the soil surrounding your house, your foundation could be shifting. 

If this is the case, you need to take action. A closer look at this Foundation Repair Guide can help you when speaking to an expert. If you don’t address such foundation issues, it could result in extremely expensive damage to your home. This will be far more expensive than any repair costs incurred before the issues become more serious.